Thomas Paine

(1736– 1809)

1. English-born American political philosopher
2. Contributed in American independence by his 2 influential writing : ‘Common Sense ‘ and ‘The American Crisis’
3. wrote Rights of Man - 1791 - in defense of French Revolution
4. In his Agrarian Justice - 1797, he introduced the concept of a guaranteed minimum income through a one-time inheritance tax on landowners.